Fiona Pears

[roger]

Hi Richard,

Thanks very much for the information. I would love to be there but I don't think I'm able to. If all goes to plan, I will be over the hills and far away at the time. There is a chance I could rush back and get there but I won't know until nearer the time.

Roger

[Richard]

Hello Belinda!

I will certainly say hello to Fiona and Ian for you. I don't know if there will be many from HWI going, because Hayley is appearing with Il Divo at Petworth on the same evening, which is probably where Roger and Dave will be. It's too awkward for me to get there on a Sunday, but Battersea is really just down the road! i.postimg.cc/9fYxy370/smilie-big-grin.gif

Roger, if you can't make it, I'll say hello to Fiona and Ian from you and Dave as well!

26 days to go!

Best Wishes from London,

Richard

[Belinda]

For the New Zealand Fiona Pears Fans,

I have found this concert

www.artscentre.org.nz/whats-on/The-Friday-Lunchtime-Concerts.asp

I remember Hayley doing one of these lunchtime concerts with her high school,wow that was a few years ago.

I also found mention that Fiona will tour New Zealand between October and January .
And may play a couple of dates with the group
Hot Club Sandwich in Wellington.
And perform on their new studio CD.

Belinda

[Richard]

Hello again everybody!

I'm on a real high this morning, having seen violinist Fiona Pears in concert at Le Quecumbar in Battersea yesterday evening. It was a fantastic experience, with Fiona in the same sparkling form that she has always been in when I've seen her with Hayley Westenra, but this time she performed seventeen numbers in two fifty-minute sets. Many were her own compositions, and most were taken from her brand new CD, 'Memories of Home'.

Fiona's band had been assembled specially for this concert, and comprised Ian Tilley on piano, fellow New Zealander Harry Harrison on guitar, Phil on double bass and Jimmy on percussion. They were all excellent musicians, but there was no disputing that the real star was Fiona, who looked stunning in a long but lightweight dark green dress.

The first set began with the lively 'Fire Fly', a piece that Fiona wrote in Singapore. This was followed by 'Magic Sands', a title inspired by Brighton Beach in her home town of Christchurch NZ. She then slowed the pace with the romantic 'Cinema Paradiso', before kicking off her shoes during the Irish number 'Memories of Martin and Mary'. She continued with 'Far Away', followed by the well-known jazz standard 'Limehouse Blues'. She then played the title track from her new CD, 'Memories of Home', and completed the set with 'Tinker', named after a puppy she had in New Zealand.

After a half-hour interval, during which Fiona and the band mingled with the audience, the second set began with 'Gypsy Lament', followed by another piece with an Irish flavour, 'Green Hills of the Gumbie Men'. Next was the famous Jewish piece 'Hava Nagila', which had the whole audience clapping along. Fiona then played 'Winter Flames' before duetting with the guitarist in the jazzy 'Lady Be Good', when her playing was very reminiscent of Stephane Grappelli. She then played 'Turkish Fantasie' and 'Bolero', followed by the Russian tune 'Dark Eyes'. Finally Fiona played another jazz number 'Minor Swing' as a well-deserved encore.

Fiona and the band gave a magnificent performance, and it was a wonderfully varied programme with lots of changes of style and pace. Fiona was very confident and professional, and I really enjoyed the little background stories she gave about her own compositions. It was a wonderful evening's entertainment, so thank you Fiona, Ian, Harry, Phil and Jimmy! I hope the CD will be a huge success, and I'm going to listen to it this evening.

Finally, I hope you're reading this, Belinda, because Fiona asked me to say hello to you!

Best Wishes,

Richard

[Belinda]

Hi Richard,

It sounds like you had a great time at the Concert,and Launch

The NZ Launch in Christchurch is on the 25th and 26th November 2006,
At the Harbour Light,at Lyttelton.

I think i will try and go to the concert on the 25th and take my parents along to it,
Mum has seen Fiona perform at 2 of Hayley's concerts i have taken her too and really loves to watch Fiona's lively performance.

Fiona's new Cd "Memories Of Home" is available from her website, which has a new look,
It looks great.www.fionapears.com take a look

Another concert i will try to go to is the October 27th lunch time concert at the Arts Centre Christchurch.

You can see what gigs fiona has in the next few months at www.fionapears.com/fireandlight/gigs.htm

Belinda

[Joe]

Hello Richard,

I'm glad that you had a wonderful time at Fiona's concert in Battersea on Sunday. She really does have a wonderful stage presence; I also enjoyed her banter between songs.

Fiona had a very extensive set list...I see my favourites 'Turkish Fantasie' and 'Dark Eyes' were performed. Also glad that several new selections were showcased as contained in her new CD.

Cheers,
Joe

[Richard]

Hello Belinda, Joe and everybody!

'Memories of Home' is a truly fantastic CD! I don't need to write a review, because you can see the full tracklisting and listen to a clip of each track on Fiona's web site. The clips say it much better than I could!

www.fionapears.com/music.htm

Enjoy! i.postimg.cc/9fYxy370/smilie-big-grin.gif

Best Wishes from London,

Richard

[Belinda]

Hi,
On the site advertising Fionas Lunch time concert on the 27 Oct
there is this information


Fiona Pears with Harry Harrison, Greg Donaldson and Pete Fleming
Fiona is flying back to NZ on 20 October to start her concert tour in NZ with this performance at the Great Hall being the first. Since leaving New Zealand to live in London two years ago Fiona has toured internationally as a soloist with Hayley Westenra. She has performed several of her compostions with the Royal Liverpool Philharmonic as well as playing in most of the main concert halls around the UK.

It has been an exciting and busy 2006 for Fiona. After a tour of Europe at the start of the year with singer songwrite Heather Nova, Fiona spent several months in the studio recording her third CD "Memories of Home". Before this Great Hall concert she will be performing her own concerts around the UK to celebrate the release of her new CD. During her time back in New Zealand Fiona will be doing a series of concerts and festivals as well as CD release shows

Belinda

[Belinda]

Hi ,
I have just rang the Arts Centre to find out more about the concert.

Tickets are $10.00 for waged and slightly cheaper for the unwaged.

They will be available closer to the time at the Arts Centre information centre and tickets will also be sold at the door.

Belinda

[Belinda]

Hi Everyone,
My tickets are booked .
My Mum ,Dad and i will be going to the concert on the 27th,October,
Mum has seen Fiona at Hayley Concerts and loves to see the energy Fiona puts into her performances.
If i can't be at a concert in Canterbury UK on the 27th,
Canterbury NZ on the 27th will have to do. i.postimg.cc/9fYxy370/smilie-big-grin.gif
If i get any pics will post them here,

Belinda. NZ

[Richard]

Hello Belinda!

I hope you have a good time at the concert on Friday, and please say hello to Fiona and Ian for me. I'm looking forward to reading some reports from New Zealand.

Best Wishes,

Richard

[Belinda]

Hi, Richard,
i certainly will say hi for you.
I don't know if Ian will be there i don't think he's playing piano anyway.
Two hours to go ,i'm really looking forward to it, the last concert i went to was Hayley's i.postimg.cc/9fYxy370/smilie-big-grin.gif

Will let you know who was there.

Belinda NZ

[Andrew]

belinda said:

Hi, Richard,
i certainly will say hi for you.
I don't know if Ian will be there i don't think he's playing piano anyway.
Two hours to go ,i'm really looking forward to it, the last concert i went to was Hayley's i.postimg.cc/9fYxy370/smilie-big-grin.gif

Will let you know who was there.

Belinda NZ

Hi Belinda,

Please send Fiona greetings from Scotland from me too!
Have a lovely time- we look forward to hearing all about it later! i.postimg.cc/9fYxy370/smilie-big-grin.gif

Lots of Love

Andrew xx

[roger]

Hi Belinda,

I hope you have a great time at the concert. According to the Canterbury Festival website (the UK one!), Fiona and Ian are still meant to be accompanying Hayley tomorrow. It's a good job you are twelve hours ahead of us or they'd never make it!

Okay, if you say hello to them from me, I'll say hello to Hayley from you. Deal?

Roger

[Belinda]

Memories of Fiona and Ian

No just kidding
Fiona Pears

The Arts Centre 27th October 2006

Hi Roger and everyone who asked for their regards to be passed on job done,I showed Fiona the group photo from Cadogan she thought that was pretty kool, and gave a big grin.
Ian was there ,i had wondered if he would be, as i had not seen his name mentioned on the Arts centre site.
I think Fiona said he arrived last Sunday. and it sounds like they will be both staying in NZ for the next few months.Ian was introduced as the Gorgeous and Talented Ian Tilley. i.postimg.cc/9fYxy370/smilie-big-grin.gif
it was great to see Ian and Fiona perform in this environment they were both able to let their hair down and be themselves enjoying what they were playing.

No chance of them being at Canterbury Cathedral i.postimg.cc/9fYxy370/smilie-big-grin.gif
Fiona said it seemed strange doing a concert at lunch time as she's so used to night time ones,

I bought Fiona's new Cd and she signed it for me

Fiona and Pete Fleming during Memories from Home it was so sad at times i thought Fiona was near tears.

Now to tell you more about the concert.
The concert was held at the Great Hall at the Arts Centre from1.10-1-50pm 27th October 2006
The band consisted of the same line up as at the British release of Fiona's Cd.
and they will be touring with her round NZ soon,
Fiona was excited about her tour of the North Island as she hadn't done that before.

Fiona
Ian Tilley- Piano
Harry Harrison -Guitar
Greg Donaldson-Drums
Pete Fleming-Bass
The Lunch time concerts are held so office people can get to them and still get back to work in their lunch hour
Fiona started with

[1]Fire Fly -written in Singapore
[2]Magic Sands- Inspired by where she used to live in Christchurch -New Brighton
[3]Cinema Paradiso
[4]Memories of Martin and Mary is my favourite.
Fiona said she has altered it for this cd.
It was still full of life and she danced round the stage and made a loud yeah at the end,after this one she said how pleased to be back home she talked about her early music history then added her old violin teacher was in the audience and that she was a little nervous.
[5]Far Away- Classical
[6]Tinker- This was about when she went to live in the UK she had to leave her dog at home with her parents,i'll have to check but the dog could have been called Precious,
Ians mother had brought her a cute toy dog (Tinker)
[7]Memories of Home-Fiona discribed this one as simple,i found it sad ,After the show Fiona discribed it as Sad but Happy. i was glad it was not the last tune or it would have ended rather flat, instead it ended very lively.
[8] Hava Nagila- this was another one i liked this was the last one and every one was clapping along.
It was the first time she had performed this tune in New Zealand.
Fiona then thanked everyone and they were gone,i had a chance to talk to Fiona briefly out side,
while Ian was packing things up,
Fiona said she had hurt her back lugging her baggage at the airport, she said she usually had Ian for that
but they came over on different flights.

i really enjoyed the concert and after we left the concert my parents and i wondered round the Botanical Gardens before going home see pic in photography section.
Belinda NZ